What would you call this rhythm?

[Miguel7]

Hi everyone,

Awhile back, I posted on here asking about "a caballo" and learned it had next to nothing to do with the rhythm, but rather a call-and-response "caballo" thing (or at least that was the impression I got from the comments). But I continue to hear this very merengue-like rhythm in most of the Puerto Rican jibaro music I listen to. Here are some examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saGg5lfy1Wg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq8-VT0AGjk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyoft9s8af4

This rhythm is used extensively in aguinaldos (especially aguinaldos jibaros which I think are awesome ) and I've learned to play it pretty well (its similarity to merengue made it easy, though there are times I make the mistake of playing it like merengue w/the last open tone being low instead of high or the open tones first instead of the slaps). But what I'm trying to find out is, if it's not a caballo, what is it? I've heard some ppl just call it jibaro (for obvious reasons) but what is this rhythm really & where does it come from?

Thanks in advance.

[Anonimo]

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[Miguel7]

I'm familiar with the martillo pattern (I play bongos too) and you're right, I do hear it a lot in musica jibara in general - but with a stick? I'd be interested to see how that's done lol. But this other rhythm is not just used by the band in links above - it seems everyone I've seen who adds ongas to that genre plays it. So I'd like to find out its name to be able to sutdy it more closely and learn to play it right, if it's a pattern in and of itself. If it's just some improv that congueros do in jibaro arrangements then I can do that much

But seriously, martillo on bongos w/sticks? Are we talking drumsticks, palitos, or something else? I'm gonna have to watch that guy you were talking about. I wonder how they do the muted tones and other strokes used in the usual martillo.

Thanks for the insight.

[Anonimo]

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[Omelenko1]

What the conguero is playing is "a caballo" rhythm, but like Cuco said, he is not that proficient at it. Similar some what to merengue.

Dario

[Jerry Bembe]

I am not a bongo player but I have seen bongos played in Steel Drum Bands with Steel Drum mallets. The mallets are dowel rods with rubber tips (usually surgical tubing). I am curious what the experts think of this choice of mallets.

I'm familiar with the martillo pattern (I play bongos too) and you're right, I do hear it a lot in musica jibara in general - but with a stick? I'd be interested to see how that's done lol. But this other rhythm is not just used by the band in links above - it seems everyone I've seen who adds ongas to that genre plays it. So I'd like to find out its name to be able to sutdy it more closely and learn to play it right, if it's a pattern in and of itself. If it's just some improv that congueros do in jibaro arrangements then I can do that much

But seriously, martillo on bongos w/sticks? Are we talking drumsticks, palitos, or something else? I'm gonna have to watch that guy you were talking about. I wonder how they do the muted tones and other strokes used in the usual martillo.

Thanks for the insight.

Yes Miguel with a stick , it is not the same way you play a Martillo on salsa all the work is done with right hand the left had just holds down the skin for vibration. I not familiar with video taping if not I would tape it for you I am illiterate when it comes to video. Many add conga drum and ad lib to it but this is the correct way. There is no other correct name to it buy a Martillo it's just the way you present it. If you can get recording by old artist such as Calandria , Ramito, Chuito ,Maso Rivera in mostly every one Chorolo or Papi Andino Played bongos and you can hear how its play perfectly.

Yes seriously martillo w sticks! How long have you been playing? there a lot of tricks in playing bongos that are not in books yet have and are used in recordings. I have also posted type of stick used to play bongos on other tread check it out it some were here in conga place.

[Miguel7]

fI've been playing bongos for a couple years now but my strength is still definitely congas - on bongos all I really know how to play is martillo, guaguanco and a little improv. Most of what I record w/bongos uses the martillo pattern, but I've always just played it salsa-style with 2 hands.

But it sounds to me that what we're talking about in this particular case is having one hand using the stick and the other hand without one (whih would allow for some interesting new sounds on bongos). Looking forward to trying this.

[Anonimo]

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[Miguel7]

Well, I play the cuatro and love the music, so any info. I can get about the percussion side of it is helpful in my own recordings. So when you mentioned "trios", was that like cuatro/guiro/bongos? It seems those are the main 3 instruments I've seen in jibaro music. Sometimes a guitar, campana, maracas and/or palitos too, but the basic 3 instruments seem to be cuatro, guiro and bongos. What did those trios play back then?

[Anonimo]

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[Miguel7]

To answer your question, I recently moved from FL to CA for a job; so I'm away from my instruments at the moment but if this job becomes permanent I'll be getting at least my cuatro sent here.

So 3 guitars? That would be kind of cool, though I think if anything it would be bass/guitar/cuatro - this way you'd have the full range of notes from lowest on the bass to as high up the cuatro neck as you can play. But 3 regular guitars? I kind of wonder what you could do with that... I'm thinking one would strum chords/rhythm guitar, one would play lead/solo, and one would play bass notes and maybe join in strumming... but anyway, yes I'll have to listen to the song you mentioned.

One thing I've noticed w/the cuatro, specific to percussionists, is that people are starting to experiment a bit more. I remember last year when I watched El Gran Desfile de Navidad (the big Christmas parade in San Juan) I noticed the jibaro band(s) had a conguero playing the "a caballo" rhythm. And on YouTube I've seen bands use timbales etc. in their arrangements w/the cuatro. There was also a song I heard awhile back where the guy played all 4 parts and showed it on the video; he only had cuatro, guitar, bongos and *mini* maracas - and he sounded awesome (though I think replacing the maracas w/guiro would be even better, or at least more traditional). So I wonder what other new directions ppl will go with traditional musica boricua in terms of percussion/congas.

[Anonimo]

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[RitmoBoricua]

Leedy them "Trios" were bad ass. Los Panchos were known world wide way back in the day. Felipe Rodriguez was a big star in the 50's and Los Condes had many hits in the 60's and 70's. On some of Los Panchos recordings you can hear bongos, timbales and congas specially when they played them tasty "guarachas".

[Miguel7]

I can't wait to get home from work later and listen to these. I agree about tradition, and unfortunately many musicians don't seem to agree with us. That's how cool instruments like the tiple and the bordonua disappear and new ones take over. But I do like the sound of 3 guitars + congas, timbales etc. Guarachas are a very traditional Puerto Rican style (though not originally from there), especially at Christmas. I play a lot of guarachas on the cuatro but most of them are Christmas songs.

Anyway, let me get to/from work and I'll respond to the videos. Thanks again for sending them.

[RitmoBoricua]

Miguel7,

No doubt ther are a lot of kool latin music that we do not hear about a lot nowdays. You have stuff like vals, mazurcas, danzas, mapeyes, milongas,etc.